


The Villain of Wilbur Soot

by xiaoxhris



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: 2020 L'Manberg Election on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Angst, Dream Smp, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Jschlatt Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Alexis | Quackity, Mentioned Toby Smith | Tubbo, Mentioned TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:41:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29290026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiaoxhris/pseuds/xiaoxhris
Summary: After his exile Wilbur sneaks back into L'manburg and goes to the van to reminisce. There he meets someone he wasn't expecting and tried to avoid seeing.
Kudos: 18





	The Villain of Wilbur Soot

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear Traveler,  
> This took me extremely long to write, mostly because I was procrastinating so much. I treated this as an exercise, because my weakest point is writing long conversations and hurt/comfort as I can't even do that in real life. So please, don't expect it to be perfect or as nice as it could be, but it's not horrible either. I also wanted to write something pleasant and what's better than writing your take on a generally hated character. I personally really enjoyed Schlatt's character and I don't believe that he was as evil as people make him out to be. Man's just has a severe Icarus complex.  
> Enjoy and leave your thoughts!

Wilbur stood on the grounds he was no longer permitted on, looking into the windows of the van, surprised to find the light on. He thought after him and Tommy left no one went in there.

As he stepped closer, he grew anxious. He was already imagining the worst case scenario and it wasn’t looking good. What if someone saw him sneaking into the city and they set up a trap to kill him once and for all? He shook his head, it was no time to have such grim thoughts. Everything had to go well, he knew that in his heart. That’s why he was soon standing on the doorstep, reaching his hand to open the door.

It was open, so the person who had gone inside didn’t bother to close it behind them. Will cautiously went in and turned his back to the inside to, this time, close the door.

“Quackity I already told you, I don’t need-” Wilbur turned in an instant. There, he saw Schlatt, sitting at a table that wasn’t there before, staring at him. “Loverboy?”

“What are you doing here?” asked the older one, before he realized how ridiculous that question was.

“I should be asking you that.” he said, returning to whatever he was doing before.

Will came to the table and looked down. He shouldn’t have been surprised when he found a few empty bottles of beer, one, in the younger’s hand. Schlatt’s gaze was really foggy, like he didn’t really grasp the reality, in which he was in right now.

“Bring yourself a chair, I can’t have you looking at me from above.” he said, as Will went into the far corner of the van, where he had spotted a chair. He dragged it to the table and sat beside the other one. “Quack- Fuck- Will, you look too much alike with your stupid hats. Take it off.”

“I see that even while drunk, you’re still barking orders.” Wilbur commented, but took off his hat. “That’s not gonna get you anywhere, almost the opposite even.”

“Look,” the younger man put down his bottle and put his hands together. “I didn’t throw you out yet, I could even get you killed, but I didn’t, so you should at least have some respect.”

They made eye contact that lasted longer than a few seconds. Wilbur started noticing how damaged the other one looked. Without his blazer and the red tie, he looked really normal. Maybe his horns with little gold earrings looked a little intimidating, but they didn’t make such an impact, when he didn’t look so formal. His white shirt was still really clean, but it had a few buttons on top ripped and cuffed sleeves. He had bags under his eyes and his usually tidy, curly hair was now severely damaged and unkept. Overall he looked like he had a rough time those last few weeks.

Schlatt leaned over his chair trying to reach into a cabinet at the side of the van. It was a small space, but it still took him some effort to reach it. He opened it and took out another beer, this time handing it to Will, who opened it and took a sip.

“Hey, Loverboy,” the younger started after a minute of silence. “can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” even if Wilbur was exiled by him, he wasn’t going to attack him in his most vulnerable state, or use anything he said against him. He knew how it’s to be betrayed and didn’t want to wish that upon his worst enemy.

“Why do you all hate me so much?”

Another silence ensued. The older man was thinking, hard. He didn’t know what to say and not because he couldn’t find an argument, but because there were too many.

“First of all, you ruined the country. Right after you took control, it started falling apart. Everyone just thinks that you’re not even trying and intentionally letting it all fall apart.”

Schlatt hung his head low, taking a slow sip from his bottle.

“I think that’s why they all left me. Everything I touch or stand near, just falls apart.” he started. Will didn’t expect that from him. They all just assumed that he doesn’t really care and all he wants is power. “You’re not better yourself.” here he turned to Wilbur.

“I guess I’m not.” he shrugged. “But I’m not the one who won the election with a scheme.”

“That you knew about and approved.” he said looking up again.

He looked strangely determined, like he was going to ask another question, or say something important, but was cut off, before he even got the chance to speak.

“Let me ask you something in return.” Will began.

“Go for it.”

“Why do _you_ hate me?”

That definitely wasn’t something Schlatt was prepared for. Who even asks that kind of question in the first place?

“What?” he said.

“You heard me.” said Will, also determined to get an answer.

“Yes I did, but... What?” he sat there in awe, while the other man searched for a different approach to the question.

“We all know that you hate me, there’s no reason hiding that, but I just want to know, why?”

“Well, I don't actually hate you, I see you as my rival, that’s all.” he shrugged.

“Then why did you exile me?” the older man didn’t believe him.

“It wasn’t personal, really. I just thought that it was expected from me. Everyone wanted me to do so and were happy when I did, so I didn’t really see the problem.” he snickered and continued. “You know Wilbur, I just wanted to get the best out of this country and if that meant exiling people who would either way take me down, it didn’t matter to me. You were far away and wouldn't interrupt me per se. We could’ve even been friends, if we didn’t meet during the election.” he placed his chin on his hand and looked out of the window.

They both were quiet. If they weren’t enemies Wilbur would’ve even felt bad for the state Schlatt was in. He didn’t look the best and certainly didn’t feel like that either. He was obviously drunk, because he wouldn’t have said that if he wasn’t. Life was hard in those times and everyone needed a rest every now and then.

“You know, in about two months it will be Christmas.” Schlatt said, as if to himself with Will just looking at him.

“Will you put up a Christmas tree?” he asked.

“I don’t think so.” the president said, still looking out.

“Any reason?”

“None in particular. I just don’t think I’ll be around at that time.” he appeared strangely calm, talking about not being there, but the country was his everything, so the older one was a little confused.

“Why won’t you be here?” he pushed, curious to know the answer.

“I don’t know, actually.” he said “Just a hunch i guess.” a short laugh could be heard coming from him. “Life works in mysterious ways.”

He leaned back on the chair and looked at Will. He didn’t know why he was opening up to him, but it felt good to let out some of the things that were on his mind. Maybe Quackity could also listen to his problems, but Schlatt doubted he would take it seriously. They had only one conversation that wasn’t based on jokes, it was just a moment ago and ended with them screaming at each other and Alex walking out.

Thinking about what he said, Wilbur felt that he could relate to the gut feeling about not being here. He knew that his decisions would get him killed sooner or later. He was planning on trying to take back the country and with not everyone agreeing with his ways, it wasn’t unimaginable for him to not make it out. At least the place he built and loved would be free. It’s story wouldn’t just end there, it wouldn’t be forgotten, maybe the symphony would get an ending someday.

The man with horns stood up. He made his way to the nearest window and looked out into the darkness. Walking out there wouldn’t be pleasant, especially in this cold, so staying here was his best option. Staying here with Wilbur Soot, whose eyes were drilling holes in his back. Wilbur, who didn’t look like he was walking out any soon.

The sense of comfort that the younger one found in the other was scaring him. Enemy of the state, his enemy, right now he didn’t feel like any of those things. He felt like an old friend. Schlatt couldn't be certain that he wouldn’t use anything against him later, that’s why he tried not to say too much, but it was getting harder by the second. So instead of trying to fight it the best course of action was to just let go and say everything he wanted to at the moment.

“Everyone left me, you know? And even if they still haven’t, they most likely will,” he said still looking out of the van. “Could you believe that Quackity is still the vice-president?”

The older one shook his head, which the younger saw in the reflection on the glass.

“See?” he turned around. “A few months back no one would’ve doubted it. Back then we truly were equals.”

“Then what changed? Why did you push the one person that respected you away?” Will also stood up.

“Do you really think I wanted it to happen?” Schlatt said a little louder than before. “ Do you honestly think that I wanted everyone to despise me and wish me to rot in hell?”

He started moving towards Wilbur, while the other backed away.

“I sit here every day overthinking every decision I made. ‘Was this really what I wanted?’ I think to myself. Did I really want to push away the one person that truly believed and trusted me? He’s probably now running around somewhere plotting how to take me down. You may have even seen him in your little hideout!” he started to laugh nervously, his eyes fixated on the ones in front of him. “When I die I’m sure there will be a celebration and _you_ ,” he pointed defiantly at Will’s chest. “are going to take part in all of this, hell, maybe you’re even going to be the hero of the day! Great Wilbur Soot who got rid of the tyrant once and for all!” at the end his voice broke and his eyes suddenly got glossy.

The older one took the younger's hand into his own.

“You’re not a villain Schlatt. I don’t believe that you are.”

“I don’t think it’s your place to say whether I am or I am not.”

He tried to pull away, but it just made the other one tighten his grip.

“Listen to me. We all make mistakes, some worse than others, but it’s our intent that makes us bad people.” The younger man looked down. “Look, you don’t have to prove that you’re better than everyone else. I can’t know that because I’m not you, but becoming president would put a lot of pressure on anyone and at the start you were handling it pretty well. You even convinced a spy to join your side! That’s not something just anyone could do, so believe me when I say, that you’ve done enough.”

It was really hard on Schlatt to hear this coming from an enemy. He was standing there, vulnerable, almost crying, while some guy in a jagged coat told him that he wasn’t someone bad. Still, it struck a chord somewhere inside, because just a second later a few tears turned into waterfalls. His crying was always extremely ugly so he just covered his eyes with the free arm hoping that everything would go back to normal. The universe was horrible for letting him get exposed like that, although it was nice finally letting out everything he wanted.

“Hey Loverboy,” he started, still not fully stopping the tears. “ Would you do something for me?”

“Yeah, anything.” Will replied.

“If I don’t make it ‘till winter, stand on the snow for me.” He let out a small chuckle. “Winter was always my favourite season.”

“Sure.” they both started laughing a bit more at this odd request.

Maybe it was true, that if they had met under different circumstances, or in a different place, they could even become friends.

* * *

He heard footsteps approaching the van. The inside was cold, probably because of all the holes in the ceiling that let in fresh November air. Then the doors opened and about a dozen people walked in.

“Wilbur?” he asked, his back turned away, still hopeful that maybe it wasn't his day yet.

They all completely surrounded him, with their swords drawn and arrows in place. He was taking sips from his bottle, hoping that maybe they would stop the pain of whatever they were planning on doing to him.

They screamed at him while Tommy was pointing a loaded crossbow at his face. He saw Quackity’s disappointed expression. Heard Fundy telling him that he fucked up and then everyone else agreeing. This really wasn’t the ideal way to go.

When he started to feel a little dizzy and a mysterious pain in his chest began to surface, he began to feel genuinely scared. Those really were his last moments.

“Toby, I’m scared of death.” he said looking at his former right-hand man and he just turned away.

“You are truly pathetic,” Quackity stated. “Just look at yourself, what you’ve become.”

His vision went blurry as he fell on his knees, unable to stand up longer. The pain in his chest grew stronger, as he struggled to breathe. Was that the end? Is that how he, the president, was going to go?

There was some unexpected warmness in that thought. He finally wouldn’t have to care anymore. He closed his eyes, because his head was starting to spin. He couldn’t hear the people screaming profanities at him any longer. He could feel Wilbur standing in front of him, and although angry, he didn’t say a word, because he also knew that that was the end of the road, for both of them.

Schlatt was laying there, on the cold floor, alone in the darkness, only waiting until his tired heart gave out and stopped the heavy feeling inside. He took a final breath. Now all he had to do was to let go.

_ Until in a moment of reflection and tranquility, that soft piano starts fading in and the warm melodies I have come to know all too well over the years invite me back into a world I've missed for so long. _


End file.
